Latching means for gates



w f- Msu'ca 8? LQJ. F. SCHLEY LATGHING MEANS FoR GATES Filed March 18, 1926 Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

FRED SCI'IIEY, 0F WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS.,

i LATCHING MEANS FOR GATES.

Application mea March 1s, 192e.y serial n. 95,719.

My invention relates to latching means for gates and has for its primary object the provision of latching means which holds the gate securely in position and which is simple and efficient in operation and which does away wit-h the necessity of providing stop means for preventing the over-swinging of the gates.

Another object of my invention is the provision of latching means which are particularly adaptable for double gates requiring a simple latching meansvby means of which the two sections of a double gate are held against opening in locked relation with each other and which is so positioned that the sections of the gate in swinging together are automatically brought into lockedrelation with each other or in such position that the locking means may be easily secured in position so that the sections of the gate are held against opening.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of latching means for gates which provides an attachment by means of which a padlock can be easily attached to the locking means and the gates held without the use of chains, hasps or other fastening means.

These and other objects of my invention 0 will be more fully and better understood by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings and in which- Figure 1" is an elevational view of my improved locking` means applied to a pair of double gates;

Figure 2 is a detailed elevational view of sections of the locking membersy igure 3 is a plan view of the members shown'in Figure 2; Y

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the locking member showing the -means for supporting the latching bar when the gates are in open position; and

Figure 5 is a detailed elevational view of the parts to which a padlock is attached for locking the gates in closed position.

Referring now specifically to the drawings a pair of inwardly swinging gates are shown, one of said gates having an upper horizontally extending frame member 10. a lower horizontally extending frame member 11 and a vertically extending end member 12, these members being preferably formed of pipe and having a T 13 at the upper side thereof within which the end of the member 10 is positioned and through which the member 12 passes. :A lower angle member 14 is provided within which the lower end of the member 12 and the outer end of the member 11 is positioned with the usual woven wire gate fabric 15 secured to the frame members in any suitable manner.

The opposite gate has a top horizontal frame member 16 and a bottom horizontal frame member 17 with an ,end vertical frame member 18, 'with' a T19 joining the end member 18 and the upper .frame member 16, with an angle 20 by means of which the lower end of the member 18 and the lower frame member 17 are secured together with the usual woven wire fabric 21 secured to these members by means of clips 22 or any other suitable mannen The bracket 13 has a projection 23 extending outwardly therefrom, the said projection having an opening therethrough within which a vertically ex tending rotatably mounted latchingbar24 is positioned', the said angle 14 having a projection 25 extending outwardly there-` from through which the latching member 24 extends at its lower end, the latching bar being capable-of movement` in a vertical direction through the brackets 23 and 25. Mounted upon the latching member 24 interminate the projections 23 and 25 vand -in spaced relationwith each other, is a pair of forks 26 andl 27, these members being secured to the latchingfmemb'er 24 by rivets in fixed engagement with this member or in any other suitable manner, the forks 26 and 27 having outwardly turned ends 28 and 29 so they are adapted to receive 4the member'18 as the gates are closed, the member 18 being receivedin and held Vby the forks 26 and 27 when the gatesI are in closed position.

Attached to the member 12 by means of a rivet or bolt V30,' is a bracket 31, this bracket being clamped around ythe member 12 in fixed engagement therewith and has an opening 32 therein through which the latching bar 24 extends. slot 33 adjacent the frame member 12 on one side of the latching bar 24 and has another slot 34 on the outside of the said latching` bar 24 which provides means through which the head of a bolt 35, which is inserted through the latching bar 24 a short distance below the bracket 31 when the device is in looked position, the said bolt 35 performing the function when the gates are in unlocked position 'of supporting the This bracket 3l has a latching Abar 241-aiid:holding-it` out of engagement with the lockingl block hereinafter described and also out of engagement with the ground as the gates` are opened andI closed. A second bracket 36 is provided which is fastened to the bitching-bar24 by means of rivets 37, 37, the said bracket 3G having an outwardly projecting portion 38 which is adapted to rest on top of the bracketl in normal locked position of the device and with a tongue 39Lprojectingdownwardly below the-portion 3S-through the slot 34 within whichalrhole 40 is provided whiclr is adapted to receive the bow4 of a padlock should it be desired to'lockY the gates against ppening by someone without the'use vof a rey.

Attached to the latchingbar 24fis a pair of handles 41 and 42 which proj ect outwardly fiom the latching bar 24 on opposite sides thereof and which perform the function of handles for raisingand flowering the latcliing bar 24 and alsovactas stops to limit the rotation ofthe latching bar 24as the gates are openedandclosed so that as the gates are closed the frame-member 18 -is in position to engage the forks 26 and 27`as the gate is closed. A catch block A43 made of concrete or the like, is embedded in the ground and placed midway between the gates with a pipe 44S positionedVV therein within which a catch' member 45 is mounted,

Vthis member having aslot^46in the top thereof, this slot being parallelwitlii the frame members 14 and 17 'of the gate when in closed position andlwhich is adapted to receive the lower endofthe latching bar 24 and thus holding the gates in locked posi tion when the lower end of' the. latching bar 24- is positioned lin the slot 46.

In operation the device is exceedingly sim'- ple in that when it is desired to open the gates the operator grasps one of the-handles 4l or 42 and lifts the latching bar 24 iupwardly out ofengagement with the catch member 45 and preferably high! enough? so that the bolt 35 passes :through theslots 33 and 34, thelower endl ofthe latchingbar having passed out of the slot 46, the gates can be swung -to one side or the other1with the resultj that the latching bar 24 fis rotated and its weight sustained by the bolt@y 35 resting on the top of the bracket- 31. The gates can thereupon-be opened 'to-their Vfull distance and when closeelf the gate; upon which the latching-- bar.. 24 is mounted is brought intozposition so the latching `bar 24 is over the holding'block 45,.the opposite gate is brought upwinto alignmenttheren with, in which positionathe frame member 18 engages in the forks 26 and 27, the gates are pulled into alignment \Vith*each other, resulting inf the rotation in a counterclockwise clirecti'onfof the llatching bar 24 so that t-lfierboltk is-broughtfinto alignment with the slots` 33 and .34,` the latching member drops downwardlyfint-o the slot 46 and the locking block 45 and the gate in this position is locked against movement in either direction. If desired, when in this position,

the bowof awpadlock is inserted through the hole 40 in the tongue 39 and the lock fastened so that the latching bar is held against upward movement and the gates held. in locked position. If'desired, a rivetcan be usedlinstead of the bolt` 3() or the threads on the end of the bolt. batteredin such manner that this bolt cannot be loosened easily so that the gate cannot be opened withoutbreaking some of the locking parts.

It will be understood that I have described al locking device for use upon. double gates which are adapted to Swingin either direction but the latchingmeans can be'used equally well upon a single gate adapted to swing in either direction by providing a stationary member adapted to be engaged by the forks 26 and 27 in the same manner Y as shown with respect 'tothe frame member 18.

lVhile I have described more or less pre'h cisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood'aslimiting myself thereto, asl'contemplate changes in forni and the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as'circumstances may suggest or render expedient 'without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Itclaim:

1'.' FasteningI means for `gates comprising in combination aslidably positioned rotatably mounted latch member, means for securing said latchv member to a gate frame, j.

forks carried byy said latch member for engagcment with a cooperatinggate, a catch member adapted to enga-ge said latch member, a. bracket securedto vsaid gate frame having an opening'y therein through which said latch member extends and `a rest mem- 'ber carried by said/latch member adapted to retainvsaid latch' meinberout of engagement "with the catch member whenv the gates are out of engagement with the catch mem- A ber.

2. Fastening means for gates comprising in combination a slidably positioned rotatably mounted latch member, means for securingfsaid Vlatchmemberto a lgate frame,

forks carried by said 'latch member for engagement with a vcooperating gate, a catch member-adapted to engage said latch inember, a bracket secured-:toi'said gate frame having an opening therein through which said latch Vmember extends, a rest member `carried by said'latch member `adapted to retain said latch member lout of engagement with the catch member when the gates are out ofrengagement with' thefcatch member, j..

and a bracket having a tongue thereon adapted to project through said bracket,

10 the cooperating the said tongue having an oaening therein adapted to receive the bow o a padlock.

8. Fastening means for double gates comprising in combination a vertically movable rotatably mounted latch member, mountings for said latch member on one ot' the gates adjacent. the upper and lower frame members of the gate, a plurality of forks fixed upon said latch member adapted to engage gate,r the said forks being member is held out of engagement with the 15 ground when the gates are in open position.

Signed at Vaukegan, March, 1926.

FRED SCHLEY.

Ill., this 4th day of 

